AI ‘warning shots’ focus Beijing on national security risks

Beijing – While AI researchers in the United States fret over out-of-control superintelligence wiping out humanity, Chinese policymakers have until now been more focused on immediate risks — from deepfakes to child safety. But the alarming hacking abilities of top artificial intelligence models are leading Beijing to see the dangers in a new light, with the spy agency chief warning last week that the technology could jeopardize national security. The potential vulnerability of Chinese mega-app WeChat was also revealed recently when a small team of programmers in California said it had used AI to build a cyberattack “worm” that, if unleashed, could easily compromise millions of WeChat accounts.